HEBRON, Ohio – The Ohio running community descended upon National Trail Raceway in Hebron for the second year in a row to see the 2012 OHSAA boys and girls state cross country championships. The 84th annual boys tournament and 35th annual girls tournaments took place Saturday afternoon in which three divisions of boys and three divisions of girls champions were decided.

Division III boys started the championship event with Attica Seneca East taking home the team state championship by six points, 101-107 over McDonald. The boys title is the first for Seneca East. The Tigers were led by junior Jason Willman (17th, 16:14.19) and sophomore Carson Pipher (24th, 16:17.85). The Division III individual champion was Versailles senior Samuel Prakel with a time of 15:16.62. Prakel also won the 2011 Division III race as a junior and finished seventh as a sophomore in the 2010 race. Senior Cory Glines from Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas placed second with a time of 15:20.66.

The Division II boys team state champion is no stranger to state titles. Peninsula Woodridge claimed its sixth OHSAA cross country championship after finishing fourth in 2011. Before that fourth place finish, the Bulldogs had won the state title in the previous five years, 2006-2010. Woodridge was led by seniors Matthew Wojcik (8th, 16:01.22) and Alex Frederick (14th, 16:10.61). Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary senior Mick Iacofano claimed the top spot individually with a time of 15:32.98. Iacofano knocked over a minute off of his 23rd place finish time from 2011 to win the 2012 race. Defiance senior Abel Flores finished in 15:46.48, placing as individual runner-up for the second year in a row en route to leading his team to a runners-up finish.

In boys Division I, Cincinnati St. Xavier returned to the podium as team champion for its fourth state title. The Bombers last championship came in 2003. St. Xavier was led by seniors Jake Grabowski (9th, 15:38.76) and Michael Momper (22nd, 15:50.03). Mason claimed the team runner-up trophy. Individually, Tipp City Tippecanoe senior Sam Wharton ran the best time of the day, 15:09.95, in taking home the Division I title. Wharton’s time is now the fastest for the National Trail course in two years as he improves upon his runner-up finish from a year ago at 15:24.98. Senior Jacob Dumford of Westerville North finished runner-up to Wharton with a time of 15:17.61.

It was back-to-back state titles for the girls Division III team champions from Liberty Center. It is also the second overall championship for the Tigers. Liberty Center was led by sophomore Brittany Atkinson, who finished second overall in the race with a time of 18:06.67. Atkinson won the 2011 race with a time of 18:27.51. Tigers senior Kelly Haubert ran an 18:44.18 to finish ninth also helping lead Liberty Center. Coldwater finished as team runner-up, but sophomore Sarah Kanney claimed the top spot individually posting a time of 17:58.03. Kanney finished ninth as a freshman in 2011.

For the fourth consecutive year Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary found itself holding the girls Division II team championship trophy. The Irish were led by freshman Rachel Iacofano, finishing second in the race with a time of 18:20.70 and senior Marissa Rossetti, who finished ninth with a time of 18:39.65. The title is St. Vincent-St. Mary’s fourth overall. Lexington finished as team runner-up. Dayton Oakwood freshman Mary Kate Vaughn claimed top honors running in her first state meet, posting a time of 17:41.57 to win the race by nearly 40 seconds.

Mason won its first girls cross country championship, taking home the Division I team trophy. The Comets scored 42 points, besting runner-up Centerville by 100 points. Mason was led by senior Lauren Wood (4th, 17:52.35) and freshman Maegan Murphy (13th, 18:17.34). Lebanon junior Jacquelyn Crow claimed top individual honors, running the fastest girls time for the National Trail course in two years at 17:39.31. Crow finished eighth in 2011 with a time of 18:23.77. Sylvania Northview senior Janelle Noe placed second in the Division I race, with a time of 17:40.88. Noe cut nearly two and a half minutes off of her 2011 state championship meet time in finishing as runner-up.